


Reach Out

by eerian_sadow



Series: Avalon [30]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief, Wishing for death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-14
Updated: 2009-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-18 22:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9406187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: It was such a simple thing, and yet it meant the universe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> these two screamed at me for days before I managed to start this. Now that it’s finished, I hope they let me get back to work on the important things. Like [](http://springkink.livejournal.com/profile)[springkink](http://springkink.livejournal.com/).
> 
> i tried a slightly different writing style for this one. it was...an interesting experiment, but i don't think i'll repeat it. i like how it turned out, but it was more difficult than i had anticipated.

He was getting tired of coming to the same oil house every night. Tired of receiving the same pitying looks from the barkeep and the serving femme because he had been here so often they knew each other by name--and knew his whole story. Tired of trying to live off the small savings he and Sky--the small savings he had put away over the last vorn.

He was, at the age of 27 vorns, tired of living.

It just didn’t seem worth it any more. Not since he had limped back into Cybertronian controlled space with only one working thruster, a fragmented recorder log and no partner. The head researcher had blamed him for Sky--for his partner’s deactivation, and that led to inquiries that constantly reminding him of what happened.

There were still investigators asking questions; he had stopped answering them cycles ago.

He had lost the apartment the cycle before last. That was a mixed blessing; he didn’t have a place to recharge anymore, but he didn’t have to constantly be bombarded by memories of …by memories. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do at the end of this cycle--he had to recharge--but he wouldn’t have to recharge alone in a berth that was large enough for a trine of Seekers.

He wondered if he would have been better off finding a trine before leaving for the Science Academy. But then he might not have met Sky--his partner. And he might not be here now.

He downed the last of his energon and laid his head on the table. He couldn’t recharge here, but he could rest a little and try to stop thinking about Sky--about his missing partner. It wouldn’t work, but he was going to try anyway.

He was drifting into recharge when a shadow fell over him. He brought his optics up to full power and glanced up, fully expecting to hear the barkeep demand that he leave and find somewhere else to recharge. He was surprised when his optics met those of another Seeker.

“What do you want?” he rasped. He didn’t want conversation and he certainly didn’t want company. He wanted to crawl into a corner somewhere and just offline quietly.

“Toxic will throw you out if you recharge here.” the other Seeker slid, uninvited, into the chair on the opposite side of the table. “And then he’ll be cranky for the rest of the cycle.”

“Am I supposed to care if he’s cranky when I’m not here?” He really didn’t want to talk to this other mech, but he didn’t want him to leave either. It was suddenly, strangely nice not to be alone.

“Maybe it won’t matter to you, but some of us want to have our drinks in peace. I’m Skywarp, by the way.”

He didn’t offer his own name, but Skywarp didn’t seem to mind. He just grinned and waved the serving femme over for another round. She hesitated before setting his high grade down in front of him--they both knew he couldn’t really afford it. He hesitated before drinking, calculating how much more another cube of high grade would drain his already limited resources.

Until the inquiries were over, no one would want to hire him, even for a job as lowly as cleaning waste fluid tanks.

“It’s okay,” Skywarp said. “I got it. You looked like you needed another drink.”

“Did I?” He still wasn’t sure he _wanted_ the other mech’s company, but he was surprised to realize that he didn’t want him to leave either.

“Yeah. Anybody who’s spent the whole rest period sitting in Toxic’s place looking like he’s lost his best friend needs a drink.”

He dropped his energon and covered his face at Skywarp’s words. “Get away from me.”

“What?” Skywarp’s voice was confused. “Oh, Primus, you did, didn’t you? I’m sorry. I didn’t think… I’m sorry.”

“Just get away!” He screamed his words, attracting the attention of Skywarp’s drinking companions and Toxic’s bouncer.

“Is there a problem?” the large mech asked, lumbering over to their table.

He took a moment to look at Skywarp, to see the other mech’s face set into horribly hurt lines, and shook his head. “No. no problem.”

The bouncer didn’t look entirely convinced, but he walked away.

“I’m sorry,” Skywarp said again.

“Forget it,” he said. He took a drink of his high grade and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Why do you even care about me?”

Skywarp shrugged and took a drink of his own energon. “Just felt like I should.”

He turned that over in his processor for a long moment. No one had cared about him since his partner--since _Skyfire_ \--had disappeared. They had pitied him, but no one had really cared. He had been so horribly, terribly abandoned until now.

Knowing that Skywarp cared, even if it was just a little, felt nice.

“I’m Starscream,” he finally said.


End file.
